This study aims to evaluate the extent to which civil society communicative platforms can be rega... more This study aims to evaluate the extent to which civil society communicative platforms can be regarded as public sphere. This study seeks to establish how civil society communicative spaces, particularly public meetings, have been used to create a public sphere in the Habermasian sense. In other words, the study sought to establish the kind of public sphere that is consummated when citizens meet and engage on issues that affect them at public meetings. The research used Bulawayo Agenda as a case study. This organization is a Bulawayo based civil society organization that focuses on democracy, governance and human rights. It uses public meetings as the main mode of engagement. The research was mainly guided Jurgen Habermas' public sphere theory. It used questionnaires, interviews and document analysis to gather data. The research mainly used thematic and discourse analysis to analyze the data. The research noted that, Bulawayo Agenda is a communicative space that can be regarded as a public sphere platform. However, it was also noted that some elements of this communicative space are not in tandem with the Habermasian public sphere. It was also noted that, the public meetings which Bulawayo Agenda uses as the main mode of engagement still remain a vibrant and relevant, public sphere platform, despite the proliferation of new media technologies However, it was noted that Bulawayo Agenda has a number of short comings as a public sphere platform. For instance, the research noted that, the organisation has been hijacked by 'hegemonic forces' such as political parties, pressure groups and western donors which tend to impose their agendas on the public sphere platform. Therefore, there are a lot of changes that need to be ushered into Bulawayo Agenda's communicative space, to make a more vibrant people's public sphere. Having noted the need for some changes, the researcher put forward recommendations. These recommendations seek to turn Bulawayo Agenda into a more viable public sphere platform. If these recommendations are implemented Bulawayo Agenda can be transformed into a 'Zimbabwe Agora', a Zimbabwean version of the famous Greek Agora' of ancient Greece.
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science
Zimbabwe is a multi-cultural nation with diverse ethno-linguistic groups. The country’s minority ... more Zimbabwe is a multi-cultural nation with diverse ethno-linguistic groups. The country’s minority ethnic groups, however are under severe threat of extinction. The effective use of minority languages in the media, significantly contributes to efforts aimed at saving these languages. Drawing on the theory of Hegemony, the study focuses on linguistic hegemony and the representation of minority languages in the broadcasting media, using ZBC Television and National FM as case studies. The data was gathered using questionnaires, in-depth interviews and content analysis. This study argues that, minority languages have not been afforded adequate space, at both ZBC Television and National FM. The study therefore, advocates for the radical transformation of the entire minority language representation policies and programming structures at both broadcasting stations. It further proposes the establishment of community radio stations, as a long term solution to the under-representation of minori...
The structure of modern journalism, is closely intertwined with technological transformations,unf... more The structure of modern journalism, is closely intertwined with technological transformations,unfolding in the communication space.The advent of WhatsApp, has triggered a drastic reconfiguration of newsrooms and radically transformed journalistic practices. Drawing on the Network theory,this study explores the impact of WhatsApp on Zimbabwean journalistic practices,using the Chronicle and NewsDay newspapers,as a case study.The study gathered data,using a total of 75 questionnaires and 3 in-depth interviews.The study established that,WhatsApp apart from having a profound impact on news-making processes at the Chronicle and NewsDay,has also massively changed the consumption practices of media consumers.The emergence of WhatsApp as the primary news-making and consumption tool,has been triggered by its numerous advantages.However,the study also ascertained that,the social media platform,has ushered a number of challenges,which threaten traditional journalism.There are concerns that,WhatsApp is promoting fake news,eroding essential journalistic skills and triggering a decline in newspaper hard copy sales.It is therefore, imperative for newsrooms to embrace WhatsApp with caution.Its adoption must be accompanied by investment in ethical training and the preservation of essential old age journalistic values and professional practices.
Sarcouncil Journal of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences, Feb 3, 2023
Abstract
The structure of modern journalism, is closely intertwined with technological transfor... more Abstract
The structure of modern journalism, is closely intertwined with technological transformations,unfolding in the communication space.The advent of WhatsApp, has triggered a drastic reconfiguration of newsrooms and radically transformed journalistic practices. Drawing on the Network theory,this study explores the impact of WhatsApp on Zimbabwean journalistic practices,using the Chronicle and NewsDay newspapers,as a case study.The study gathered data,using a total of 75 questionnaires and 3 in-depth interviews.The study established that,WhatsApp apart from having a profound impact on news-making processes at the Chronicle and NewsDay,has also massively changed the consumption practices of media consumers.The emergence of WhatsApp as the primary news-making and consumption tool,has been triggered by its numerous advantages.However,the study also ascertained that,the social media platform,has ushered a number of challenges,which threaten traditional journalism.There are concerns that,WhatsApp is promoting fake news,eroding essential journalistic skills and triggering a decline in newspaper hard copy sales.It is therefore, imperative for newsrooms to embrace WhatsApp with caution.Its adoption must be accompanied by investment in ethical training and the preservation of essential old age journalistic values and professional practices.
Keywords: WhatsApp,social media,newsrooms,journalism
This study aims to evaluate the extent to which civil society communicative platforms can be rega... more This study aims to evaluate the extent to which civil society communicative platforms can be regarded as public sphere. This study seeks to establish how civil society communicative spaces, particularly public meetings, have been used to create a public sphere in the Habermasian sense. In other words, the study sought to establish the kind of public sphere that is consummated when citizens meet and engage on issues that affect them at public meetings. The research used Bulawayo Agenda as a case study. This organization is a Bulawayo based civil society organization that focuses on democracy, governance and human rights. It uses public meetings as the main mode of engagement. The research was mainly guided Jurgen Habermas' public sphere theory. It used questionnaires, interviews and document analysis to gather data. The research mainly used thematic and discourse analysis to analyze the data. The research noted that, Bulawayo Agenda is a communicative space that can be regarded as a public sphere platform. However, it was also noted that some elements of this communicative space are not in tandem with the Habermasian public sphere. It was also noted that, the public meetings which Bulawayo Agenda uses as the main mode of engagement still remain a vibrant and relevant, public sphere platform, despite the proliferation of new media technologies However, it was noted that Bulawayo Agenda has a number of short comings as a public sphere platform. For instance, the research noted that, the organisation has been hijacked by 'hegemonic forces' such as political parties, pressure groups and western donors which tend to impose their agendas on the public sphere platform. Therefore, there are a lot of changes that need to be ushered into Bulawayo Agenda's communicative space, to make a more vibrant people's public sphere. Having noted the need for some changes, the researcher put forward recommendations. These recommendations seek to turn Bulawayo Agenda into a more viable public sphere platform. If these recommendations are implemented Bulawayo Agenda can be transformed into a 'Zimbabwe Agora', a Zimbabwean version of the famous Greek Agora' of ancient Greece.
This study aims to evaluate the extent to which civil society communicative platforms can be rega... more This study aims to evaluate the extent to which civil society communicative platforms can be regarded as public sphere. This study seeks to establish how civil society communicative spaces, particularly public meetings, have been used to create a public sphere in the Habermasian sense. In other words, the study sought to establish the kind of public sphere that is consummated when citizens meet and engage on issues that affect them at public meetings. The research used Bulawayo Agenda as a case study. This organization is a Bulawayo based civil society organization that focuses on democracy, governance and human rights. It uses public meetings as the main mode of engagement. The research was mainly guided Jurgen Habermas' public sphere theory. It used questionnaires, interviews and document analysis to gather data. The research mainly used thematic and discourse analysis to analyze the data. The research noted that, Bulawayo Agenda is a communicative space that can be regarded as a public sphere platform. However, it was also noted that some elements of this communicative space are not in tandem with the Habermasian public sphere. It was also noted that, the public meetings which Bulawayo Agenda uses as the main mode of engagement still remain a vibrant and relevant, public sphere platform, despite the proliferation of new media technologies However, it was noted that Bulawayo Agenda has a number of short comings as a public sphere platform. For instance, the research noted that, the organisation has been hijacked by 'hegemonic forces' such as political parties, pressure groups and western donors which tend to impose their agendas on the public sphere platform. Therefore, there are a lot of changes that need to be ushered into Bulawayo Agenda's communicative space, to make a more vibrant people's public sphere. Having noted the need for some changes, the researcher put forward recommendations. These recommendations seek to turn Bulawayo Agenda into a more viable public sphere platform. If these recommendations are implemented Bulawayo Agenda can be transformed into a 'Zimbabwe Agora', a Zimbabwean version of the famous Greek Agora' of ancient Greece.
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science
Zimbabwe is a multi-cultural nation with diverse ethno-linguistic groups. The country’s minority ... more Zimbabwe is a multi-cultural nation with diverse ethno-linguistic groups. The country’s minority ethnic groups, however are under severe threat of extinction. The effective use of minority languages in the media, significantly contributes to efforts aimed at saving these languages. Drawing on the theory of Hegemony, the study focuses on linguistic hegemony and the representation of minority languages in the broadcasting media, using ZBC Television and National FM as case studies. The data was gathered using questionnaires, in-depth interviews and content analysis. This study argues that, minority languages have not been afforded adequate space, at both ZBC Television and National FM. The study therefore, advocates for the radical transformation of the entire minority language representation policies and programming structures at both broadcasting stations. It further proposes the establishment of community radio stations, as a long term solution to the under-representation of minori...
The structure of modern journalism, is closely intertwined with technological transformations,unf... more The structure of modern journalism, is closely intertwined with technological transformations,unfolding in the communication space.The advent of WhatsApp, has triggered a drastic reconfiguration of newsrooms and radically transformed journalistic practices. Drawing on the Network theory,this study explores the impact of WhatsApp on Zimbabwean journalistic practices,using the Chronicle and NewsDay newspapers,as a case study.The study gathered data,using a total of 75 questionnaires and 3 in-depth interviews.The study established that,WhatsApp apart from having a profound impact on news-making processes at the Chronicle and NewsDay,has also massively changed the consumption practices of media consumers.The emergence of WhatsApp as the primary news-making and consumption tool,has been triggered by its numerous advantages.However,the study also ascertained that,the social media platform,has ushered a number of challenges,which threaten traditional journalism.There are concerns that,WhatsApp is promoting fake news,eroding essential journalistic skills and triggering a decline in newspaper hard copy sales.It is therefore, imperative for newsrooms to embrace WhatsApp with caution.Its adoption must be accompanied by investment in ethical training and the preservation of essential old age journalistic values and professional practices.
Sarcouncil Journal of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences, Feb 3, 2023
Abstract
The structure of modern journalism, is closely intertwined with technological transfor... more Abstract
The structure of modern journalism, is closely intertwined with technological transformations,unfolding in the communication space.The advent of WhatsApp, has triggered a drastic reconfiguration of newsrooms and radically transformed journalistic practices. Drawing on the Network theory,this study explores the impact of WhatsApp on Zimbabwean journalistic practices,using the Chronicle and NewsDay newspapers,as a case study.The study gathered data,using a total of 75 questionnaires and 3 in-depth interviews.The study established that,WhatsApp apart from having a profound impact on news-making processes at the Chronicle and NewsDay,has also massively changed the consumption practices of media consumers.The emergence of WhatsApp as the primary news-making and consumption tool,has been triggered by its numerous advantages.However,the study also ascertained that,the social media platform,has ushered a number of challenges,which threaten traditional journalism.There are concerns that,WhatsApp is promoting fake news,eroding essential journalistic skills and triggering a decline in newspaper hard copy sales.It is therefore, imperative for newsrooms to embrace WhatsApp with caution.Its adoption must be accompanied by investment in ethical training and the preservation of essential old age journalistic values and professional practices.
Keywords: WhatsApp,social media,newsrooms,journalism
This study aims to evaluate the extent to which civil society communicative platforms can be rega... more This study aims to evaluate the extent to which civil society communicative platforms can be regarded as public sphere. This study seeks to establish how civil society communicative spaces, particularly public meetings, have been used to create a public sphere in the Habermasian sense. In other words, the study sought to establish the kind of public sphere that is consummated when citizens meet and engage on issues that affect them at public meetings. The research used Bulawayo Agenda as a case study. This organization is a Bulawayo based civil society organization that focuses on democracy, governance and human rights. It uses public meetings as the main mode of engagement. The research was mainly guided Jurgen Habermas' public sphere theory. It used questionnaires, interviews and document analysis to gather data. The research mainly used thematic and discourse analysis to analyze the data. The research noted that, Bulawayo Agenda is a communicative space that can be regarded as a public sphere platform. However, it was also noted that some elements of this communicative space are not in tandem with the Habermasian public sphere. It was also noted that, the public meetings which Bulawayo Agenda uses as the main mode of engagement still remain a vibrant and relevant, public sphere platform, despite the proliferation of new media technologies However, it was noted that Bulawayo Agenda has a number of short comings as a public sphere platform. For instance, the research noted that, the organisation has been hijacked by 'hegemonic forces' such as political parties, pressure groups and western donors which tend to impose their agendas on the public sphere platform. Therefore, there are a lot of changes that need to be ushered into Bulawayo Agenda's communicative space, to make a more vibrant people's public sphere. Having noted the need for some changes, the researcher put forward recommendations. These recommendations seek to turn Bulawayo Agenda into a more viable public sphere platform. If these recommendations are implemented Bulawayo Agenda can be transformed into a 'Zimbabwe Agora', a Zimbabwean version of the famous Greek Agora' of ancient Greece.
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Papers by Tongai Jonhera
The structure of modern journalism, is closely intertwined with technological transformations,unfolding in the communication space.The advent of WhatsApp, has triggered a drastic reconfiguration of newsrooms and radically transformed journalistic practices. Drawing on the Network theory,this study explores the impact of WhatsApp on Zimbabwean journalistic practices,using the Chronicle and NewsDay newspapers,as a case study.The study gathered data,using a total of 75 questionnaires and 3 in-depth interviews.The study established that,WhatsApp apart from having a profound impact on news-making processes at the Chronicle and NewsDay,has also massively changed the consumption practices of media consumers.The emergence of WhatsApp as the primary news-making and consumption tool,has been triggered by its numerous advantages.However,the study also ascertained that,the social media platform,has ushered a number of challenges,which threaten traditional journalism.There are concerns that,WhatsApp is promoting fake news,eroding essential journalistic skills and triggering a decline in newspaper hard copy sales.It is therefore, imperative for newsrooms to embrace WhatsApp with caution.Its adoption must be accompanied by investment in ethical training and the preservation of essential old age journalistic values and professional practices.
Keywords: WhatsApp,social media,newsrooms,journalism
The structure of modern journalism, is closely intertwined with technological transformations,unfolding in the communication space.The advent of WhatsApp, has triggered a drastic reconfiguration of newsrooms and radically transformed journalistic practices. Drawing on the Network theory,this study explores the impact of WhatsApp on Zimbabwean journalistic practices,using the Chronicle and NewsDay newspapers,as a case study.The study gathered data,using a total of 75 questionnaires and 3 in-depth interviews.The study established that,WhatsApp apart from having a profound impact on news-making processes at the Chronicle and NewsDay,has also massively changed the consumption practices of media consumers.The emergence of WhatsApp as the primary news-making and consumption tool,has been triggered by its numerous advantages.However,the study also ascertained that,the social media platform,has ushered a number of challenges,which threaten traditional journalism.There are concerns that,WhatsApp is promoting fake news,eroding essential journalistic skills and triggering a decline in newspaper hard copy sales.It is therefore, imperative for newsrooms to embrace WhatsApp with caution.Its adoption must be accompanied by investment in ethical training and the preservation of essential old age journalistic values and professional practices.
Keywords: WhatsApp,social media,newsrooms,journalism